2010 Corton Renardes

The 2010 Corton-Renardes, like the Charmes, comes across as light on its feet within the context of the appellation. This is a decidedly elegant, perfumed style of Renardes. Layers of fragrant red fruit flow gracefully from this beautifully articulated wine. The minerality, verve and muscle that are typical of this site come through on the long, engaging finish. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted with Thibault Liger-Belair. Thibault’s core holdings are the remaining vestiges of his family’s portion of the original Liger-Belair estate that was sold in the early 1930s. In recent years, Liger-Belair has added a few negociant wines to augment his range. Thibault Liger-Belair is the largest owner of the Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les St. Georges and the leading proponent of the movement to have the vineyard classified as a Grand Cru. Liger-Belair’s decision to taste his Les St. Georges in between the Clos de Vougeot and Richebourg makes an eloquent case. In fact, words are pretty much superfluous at that point. I will report on Liger-Belair’s 2009s in the April issue. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Crimson. Very full of life! Bumptious. Not the most ridiculous price for a grand cru. Such race underneath. Yet it manages to be smooth too. Real depth and sincerity. Lots of pleasure efficiently delivered. (JR)

(30% vendange entier ): Good medium red. Crushed cherry and spicy oak on the nose, despite the fact that this wine is aging entirely in once-used barrels. Creamy-sweet, verging on liqueur-like, with a hint of oak spice and some slightly herbal acidity perking up the mid-palate. Much drier on the back end than in the middle. Today I'm not quite receiving this wine's message.